Golden Hour Calculator
Calculate blue-hour and golden-hour windows from date, coordinates and visible solar-angle bands. Inputs stay in your browser.
Windows are calculated from solar altitude at the selected coordinates: blue hour −6° to −4° and golden hour −4° to +6°.
Context matters.
- The NOAA solar equations provide planning-grade times; terrain, buildings, elevation, refraction and weather can change visible light at the scene.
- UTC offset must match the location on the selected date, including daylight-saving time.
- Golden and blue hour are photographic conventions rather than universal boundaries; CalcSpan shows the angle bands it uses.
Sources & scope
The calculation guide and this source trail show what the result means, where the rule came from and when it was last reviewed. This is source-and-calculation QA, not a claim of medical, legal, tax or other professional review; time-sensitive decisions still belong with the linked authority.
A visible path from input to answer.
Calculate blue-hour and golden-hour windows from date, coordinates and visible solar-angle bands. The page keeps the calculation scope and its limits beside the result so the output can be checked, copied or revisited.
- Read the record. The calculator uses Planning date, Latitude, Longitude and UTC offset on this date supplied in the form.
- Apply the scope. It applies the Global solar/lunar planning — user-provided coordinates and date-specific UTC offset reference and the explicit date, unit and counting conventions shown in the result.
- Expose the checkpoints. Intermediate rows, warnings and timeline events stay visible; the emphasized row identifies the primary checkpoint when one exists.
Windows are calculated from solar altitude at the selected coordinates: blue hour −6° to −4° and golden hour −4° to +6°.
- Morning golden hour06:04 – 07:05
- Evening golden hour19:15 – 20:16
Calculation purpose: Calculate blue-hour and golden-hour windows from date, coordinates and visible solar-angle bands. This is a general planning reference; local conditions, product instructions or personal records can override the estimate.
Calendar inputs use plain year-month-day semantics. Leap days, month ends, date-pair order and unsupported dates are checked before the result is shown.
Rule set 2.0.0 · Last reviewed 2026-08-20 · Next review due 2027-02-20. The source panel below contains the linked evidence.
What to know before using the result.
How does CalcSpan define golden hour and blue hour?
The calculator uses visible solar-altitude bands: blue hour from −6° to −4° and golden hour from −4° to +6°. These are transparent photographic conventions, not universal definitions.
Why do these times differ from a weather app?
Apps may use different angle definitions, rounding, elevation or horizon models. CalcSpan also requires the date-specific UTC offset, including daylight-saving time.
Does Use my current location upload my coordinates?
No. Browser geolocation populates the form locally; the calculator does not send coordinates to CalcSpan.